Snagless fishing hook

ABSTRACT

A snagless fishhook construction having four hooks, namely, a first pair of duplicate short hooks and a second pair of relatively long complemental hooks. These paired hooks are equidistant and circumferentially spaced and the yieldable free ends cross each other, are yieldingly cocked and normally weedless but are adapted to spring out when the sensitively pliant shanks are grasped by the fish. The shanks of the respective hooks are thin and flat and are readily moved toward each other when squeezed, whereupon the barbed hooks (one pair or both pairs) spring out and snare the fish.

United States Patent 1 1 Harris 1 Apr;17,'1973 1 SNAGLESS FISHING HOOK2,514,527 7 1950 Verhota ..43/44.s2

t 2 [76] [men or zzz gg gg z Fourth Primary ExaminerLouis G. ManceneAssistant Examiner-Daniel]. Leach [22] Filed: May 18, 1970Attorney--Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacob- 21 Appl. No.: 33,079

' v ABSTRACT [52] US. Cll. ..43/43.2, 43/36, 43/4433 A Snagless fishhookconstruction having four hooks, [51] Ilrt. c m'm y a first p duplicateshort hooks and a [58] Fleld of Search ..43/43.2,43.4, 36, second p ofrelafively g clomplemental hooks 43/431644'8244'83"44'86 These pairedhooks are equidistant and circumferentially spaced and the yieldablefree ends cross [56] References C'ted each other, are yieldingly cockedand normally Weedless but are adapted to spring out when the sensi-UNITED STATES PATENTS tively pliant shanks are grasped by the fish. The117,719 8/1871 Arnold ..43/44.86 shanks of the respective hooks are thinand flat and 454,580 6/1891 Mack ....43/43.2 are readily moved towardeach other when squeezed, 679.296 /190 Clark .....43/43.2 whereupon thebarbed hooks (one pair or bothpairs) 2,124263 7/1938 SChOtl ..43/43.2spring out and snare the 289,508 12/1883 Dawson ...43/44.82 UX 1,056,3973/1913 Bonnell ..43/36 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures SNAGLESS FISHING HOOKAn object of the herein disclosed invention is to structurally,functionally and in other practical ways improve upon prior art fishhookconstructions which are characterized, generally stated, by pairedfishhooks which are coordinated in a manner to provide a moresatisfactory Weedless or snagless hook structure.

For background purposes, it is to be mentioned at the outset of thisdisclosure that paired long and short fishhooks having forward tendswhich are integrally united and rearward. ends with nested overlappingbends and pointed barbs are not new. As exemplary of the general stateof the art to which the invention relates, the reader may refer to apatent issued to John Schott, US. Pat. No. 2,124,263, and moreparticularly, to a patent issued to Albert G. Mack, US. Pat No. 454,580.As will be hereinafter more fully appreciated, and while the prior artadaptations are analogous to the instant invention, it can be pointedout here that the stated prior patents, because the shank portions ofthe hooks are not thin and flat, do not and cannot "achieve the highlysensitive pliant and spring action which is a significant feature of theinvention herein under advisement. M

Then, too, and as will be hereinafter more clearly evident, the fishhookconstruction featured herein has to do with four coacting equidistantcircumferentially spaced hooks which are interrelated in pairs, namely,a first pair of relatively short hooks and a second pair of complementalrelatively longer hooks. These hooks all have yieldingly cocked shank ortang portions which are joined to an axial stem of a line attaching eyeand which are so arranged that the barbed rearward ends are sprungtogether in appropriate overlapping relationship and are accordinglynormally closed and snagless. The barbed hooks spring to open fishsnaring position and relationship when pressure is applied to the pliantand sensitively yieldable shanks or tangs of the paired hooks. Whenpressure is released the spring tension will automatically contract thebarbed hooks whereupon they automatically assume closed guarded positionand relationship.

Briefly, this invention is characterized by a simple line attaching eyewhich has an axially disposed hook assembling and mounted rigid stem. Afirst pair of relatively short hooks cooperate with a second pair ofcomplemental relatively long hooks. All of the hooks are basically alikein construction. This is to say, the forward end of a relatively thinpliant shank is superimposed on and suitably affixed to the stem ofthe-eye. These flat tangs are circumferentially arranged around the stemand the respective long and short hooks are barbs in overlappingproperly nested closed but readyto-function relationship.

It is self-evident that with the fishhook construction disclosed it iseasy to make flies by tying feathers or bristles onto the coiled orwrapped wire which embraces the attached ends of the tangs of the pairedlong and short hooks. In addition, hackle or so-called justments. It hasbeen found too, that with the construction under consideration here,thatif the hook,

that is the overall hook, strikes an object while trolling or for anyother reason the hooks will be compressed and will automatically springback into closed or guarded position and relationship. Manifestly, theseand other features and advantages of the invention can be and areaccomplished by the improved hook construction.

These together with other objects andadvantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation a more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of paired snagless fishhook constructionconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the same taken at right angles to FIG. I andwherein, in both figures, the paired hooks are automatically sprung intoclosed or guarded position and relationship.

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 1 observing the same in a direction fromright to left.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the barbed bill portion ofthe hooks of the long pair sprung out to fish ensnaring position whenthe pressure is applied on the tang in the direction of the arrows A.

. FIG. 5 is a view in section and elevation showing the component partsand their position and relationship when the hooks are sprung out tofish catching posi-,

tion, the section being taken on the plane of the section line 5-5ofFIG. l.

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-section taken approximately on the plane ofthe line 6-6 of FIG. 2 looking in he direction of the arrows.

And FIG. 7 is a view in perspective showing the afore-mentionedstem-equipped eyeand also showing one of the improved fishhooks.

With reference now to the views of the drawing, a significant componentof the overall assemblage is the eye member referred to broadly as theline-attaching eye and denoted by the numeral 8 in FIG. 7. Thiscomponent comprises a suitable eye 10 having a rearwardly extendingaxially positioned stem 12. It is to this simple stern that the forwardends of the four properly paired fishhooks are connected. The first pairof hooks, referred to as the relatively short hooks, is denoted by thenumeral 14. These hooks are of like construction and are oriented witheach other and the attaching and mounting stem 12. Each hook embodies aflexible sensitively pliant (spring steel or the like) shank which isrelatively thin and flat-faced andis accordingly non-circular intransverse section. The main portion of the shank constitutes a pressureresponsive tang 16 having a terminal forward end portion which issuperimposed upon a surface of the stem 12 and is fused or otherwisefixedly bonded thereto (not detailed). The forward terminal end portionof each tang is denoted (FIG. 7) by the numeral 18. The terminal endportions 18 of the paired hooks 14 are fixed to the stem 12 ondiametrically opposite sides. The arcuately formed bend or bent portion20 terminates in a pointed barb 22. These bent barb-equipped ends are inoverlapping relationship and the tension of the tang normally serves tomaintain the turned-in barbs in closed coordinating relationship as.shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This is referred to herein as the snaglessguarded or closed position of the paired hooks. The second relativelylong hooks which constitute complemental paired hooks are each denotedby the numeral 24. These two hooks are basically the same inconstruction as the hooks 14 and each hook has a forward and rearwardend portions. The forward portion constitutes a shank and it is likewiserelatively thin highly flexible and pliant and responsive to pressure.The shank is again referred to as a pressure responsive yieldable tangand is denoted at 26. The terminal forward end portions 18 aresuperimposed upon diametrically opposite surfaces of the stem 12 betweenthe points of attachment of the aforementioned paired hooks 14. Itfollows that four hooks provide two pairs of hooks which are equidistantand circumferentially spaced, the inherent tendency of the tangs servingto maintain all of the hooks with the contractable end por-' tionsnested in proper paired relationship. The bent flat faced elongateshanks or tangs are possessed of the desired lively and sensitive springaction, action which keeps the pointed hooks closed in guarded position.As already pointed out the hooks 14 which constitute one pair aresomewhat shorter than the relatively long paired hooks 24. The flatshank portions facilitate gripping of either of the hooks l4 and 24singly or collectively depending on the manner in which the fish takesthe hooks. When the normally contracted or closed hooks are acted uponin the manner suggested in FIGS. 4 and it will be evident that thebarbed ends expand or project outwardly in a manner to set the hooks inthe mouth of the fish.

In actual practice it has been found desirable to wrap the flattened endportions 18 and this can be done by wrap-around means such as is denotedat 32 and which can be of metal or plastic windings as desired.

It has been found that with prior art adaptations wherein the shankportions of the hooks are circular in cross-section, and even ifresilient, are rarely sufficiently sensitive to achieve the desiredautomatic closing and opening result. It follows, as experience hasrepeatedly shown, that a paired fishhook construction such as shown anddescribed well serves the purposes for which it has been devised.

Consideration of the views singly and collectively which show the openand closed positions of the paired fishhooks will enable the reader toobtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of.

the invention and the manner of use and operation. Accordingly, a moreextended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A snagless fishhook construction comprising a rigid relatively shortmounting stem, said stern having a rigid eye at a forward end for theattachment thereto of an end of a fishing line, a first pair ofrelatively short hooks, said hooks being alike in construction and eachhook embodying a shank having forward and rearward end portions, saidrearward end portions having like return-bends with barbed terminalsdisposed in turnedin overlapping relationship, said forward end portionsbeing secured to diametrically opposite sides of said mounting stern, asecond pair of hooks slightly longer than and complemental to said firstpair of hooks and each long hook also embodying forward and rearward Iend portions having like retum-bends with barbed terminals disposed intumed-in overlapping relationship, said forward end portions of saidlong hooks being secured to diametrically opposite sides of saidmounting stem, whereby the four individual hooks are disposed inequidistant circumferentially spaced relationship, each shank beingflat-faced and made of flexible bendably pliant material andconstituting a pressure responsive tang, wrapping means wrapped tightlyand firmly around the forward end portions and completely enclosing andsecuring the said end portions to said stern, said tangs beingyieldingly responsive to pressure which is applied when a fish takes thehook and exertsmouth closing pressure on said tangs, whereby theoverlapped portions of the hooks are projected in a manner to setthemselves in the jaws of the fish.

i Ik IF i

1. A snagless fishhook constructiOn comprising a rigid relatively shortmounting stem, said stem having a rigid eye at a forward end for theattachment thereto of an end of a fishing line, a first pair ofrelatively short hooks, said hooks being alike in construction and eachhook embodying a shank having forward and rearward end portions, saidrearward end portions having like return-bends with barbed terminalsdisposed in turned-in overlapping relationship, said forward endportions being secured to diametrically opposite sides of said mountingstem, a second pair of hooks slightly longer than and complemental tosaid first pair of hooks and each long hook also embodying forward andrearward end portions having like returnbends with barbed terminalsdisposed in turned-in overlapping relationship, said forward endportions of said long hooks being secured to diametrically oppositesides of said mounting stem, whereby the four individual hooks aredisposed in equidistant circumferentially spaced relationship, eachshank being flatfaced and made of flexible bendably pliant material andconstituting a pressure responsive tang, wrapping means wrapped tightlyand firmly around the forward end portions and completely enclosing andsecuring the said end portions to said stem, said tangs being yieldinglyresponsive to pressure which is applied when a fish takes the hook andexerts mouth closing pressure on said tangs, whereby the overlappedportions of the hooks are projected in a manner to set themselves in thejaws of the fish.